Needles to ease your pain: acupuncture has been shown to relieve some kinds of discomfort, but first seek a diagnosis from your doctor, and add exercise and a good diet to improve your results
Categories: AcupunctureAcupuncture is like untying a muscular straightjacket that causes pain.
That’s how Cleveland Clinic acupuncturist Tim Rhudy, M.S., L.Ac., views the ancient Chinese form of medicine.
Recent research supports the pain-relieving benefits of acupuncture. A study in the November issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism found that patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis showed significant improvements with acupuncture treatments. And, separate studies, published in September in the British Medical Journal and the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that acupuncture relieved chronic low-back pain.
But, while acupuncture may be effective for some people with certain kinds of pain, it may not work as well on pain associated with severe structural problems. More importantly, it should be used in conjunction with, not instead of, conventional medicine, and you should first consult your doctor to pinpoint the cause of your pain. And, you may get more relief if you also adopt healthful lifestyle practices, especially exercise.
“I tell people to use the improvement they get from acupuncture as a jump start into their own physical discipline. The best success is going to come with incorporating healthy lifestyle interventions, such as tai chi or sensible exercise,” said Rhudy.
According to ancient Chinese medicine, energy known as chi (pronounced “chee”) flows along channels in the body known as meridians, and pain and illness come with an imbalance or disruption of chi. Classic acupuncture works by inserting and maneuvering hair-thin needles at nearly 1,000 “acu-points” along the 12 major meridians to restore a balance of chi.
Practitioners of Western medicine believe that acupuncture triggers the release of endorphins (powerful chemicals our bodies produce to dull the perception of pain) and stimulates the spinal cord to release painsuppressing neurotransmitters.
Approaches to acupuncture vary. Some acupuncturists use only their along the 12 major meridians to hands to manipulate the needles, while others run a light electrical current through the needles to stimulate affected areas or use Chinese herbs in conjunction with traditional acupuncture.
Acupuncture is safe when practiced by licensed professionals using sterile needles, and it carries few, if any, complications. It’s most effective in treating chronic pain in the muscles and fascia (the connective tissue that envelops the body just underneath the skin), sports-related injuries and abdominal pain, including disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, according to Rhudy. The treatment can lessen pain from arthritis, carpal-tunnel syndrome and some back pain, but it does not repair skeletal problems, he noted.
Rhudy said many people seek acupuncture only after other, conventional approaches have failed, but by that time it may be too late.
“If their condition is too far advanced, such as severe structural and degenerative changes, acupuncture may be too subtle of a weapon,” he said.
WHAT TO EXPECT
During your first session, the acupuncturist will ask you about your medical history and pain symptoms and then may feel for pain spots.
A typical back treatment will entail 30 to 35 needles inserted shallowly into the skin, fascia and muscle, while the usual frontal treatment requires 20 to 25 needles, Rhudy said. The needles remain in place for 15 to 20 minutes, and each session usually lasts about an hour. Most people feel extremely relaxed during and after the treatment.
Rhudy recommends that patients attend five weekly sessions to start and a treatment session a month later, and then return for maintenance treatments (if necessary) every four to six weeks afterward, or whenever they need relief. He advises patients to seek other treatment options if they don’t see any improvement in their symptoms after four or five sessions.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
* First, talk to your doctor and get a diagnosis of your condition to make sure a serious medical problem isn’t causing your pain.
* Tell your doctor if you’re undergoing acupuncture, and inform your acupuncturist about your medical condition and your medications.
* Seek out only a licensed, full-time acupuncturist or a doctor who features acupuncture significantly in his or her practice. Make sure they use only sterilized or disposable needles.
* Talk to your doctor about exercise and other healthful lifestyle habits that can help make the improvements you get from acupuncture long-lasting.